This week twenty-nine of the world’s most promising young racing and rally drivers arrived in Austria for the Selection Event for the second year of the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy. Each driver was assessed over the 4-day event and 18 were chosen to take part in the year long programme.

At the recent F1 young guns test in Abu Dhabi a graduate of this year’s programme, American Alex Rossi, got his chance to test an F1 car with Team Lotus. Meanwhile another graduate, Richie Stanaway, looks a very exciting prospect. The New Zealander won the German F3 championship this year and looked sharp when he had a few outings with ART in GP3 towards the end of the season, taking one win.

Over the next year, the 18 drivers chosen for the second Academy will take part in workshops covering all aspects of driver performance and safety. “The driving elements of the course include the development of technical skills, safety training, attitudes and awareness. The human performance aspect will feature physiology, psychology, nutrition, media skills and career management,” according to the FIA Institute.

Although this is a programme focused on racing and rally drivers, its priorities do not lie solely with raw speed. The drivers conduct tests based on mental and physical performance along with being introduced to key safety measures from the FIA Institute.

The leading examiners for the event were be former WRC co-driver Robert Reid and former Grand Prix driver and two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz.

This is the second year of the Academy, which aims to teach young drivers not just about how to improve as racers, but it carries a strong road safety message with it too, which they are encouraged to share in their home countries.

After a few years of this programme the number of drivers at the highest levels of the sport who are ambassadors for road safety will be significant.

11 comments

'This is the second year of the Academy, which aims to teach young drivers not just about how to improve as racers, but it carries a strong road safety message with it too, which they are encouraged to share in their home countries.'

This is very good an important. In this same line of sending out safety messages, wouldn't it make sense to get one of the big boys in the spotlight for this goal, let's say Hamilton. Why not? He happens to have a bad reputation for his driving manners (on track and remember, also off track) and the social impact would be so much bigger!

C B Smith has made a very astute observation. There is such a thing as "sportsmanship" in any competition and F-1 (as well as racing in general) should benefit from the principles being taught. Of course, there is always the 'sport' of cage fighting if you want to watch that.